Strange Oklahoma map

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The results map of the 2004 Oklahoma Democratic primary looks interesting, but kind of strange.



If you take a look at the CD map the anomaly becomes even more salient:



Kerry won the three most populous counties - that's self-explanatory.

But why was there a divide cleaving Oklahoma in two, with Edwards winning the East and Clark winning the West?
If it was the other way round it would be more logical, as Clark's home state is bordering Arkansas. But this way?

And furthermore, how did Kerry win the entire panhandle?

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The panhandle counties probably were fluke-ish for Kerry (maybe the uber-Republican lean of them makes the Dems there more "left" than in the rest of the state) since he only won with like 30ish % of the vote.

Really?

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ITT 2 of the 5 Democrats who lived in Cimarron County preferred Kerry over Edwards or Clark.

In actual fact, there were 749 voters in Texas County.
Fun fact: Texas County was even Kerry's second best county in OK.

Does this forum have an Oklahoman Democrat? Or do they only exist on paper?

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I think the reason for that divide is a mixture of TV ads and military bases.

Lifelong Oklahoman checking in with confirmation of this. Southeastern Oklahoma is even nicknamed "Little Dixie". Eastern Oklahoma (especially SE OK) is more culturally Southern and NW Oklahoma is quite Western. This divide holds true in everything from culture to economic activity to geography. Oklahoma's kind of an amalgam of regional identities. Oddly enough, some people consider Tulsa Midwestern. We've got a little bit of everything.

Could you as an Oklahoman approve that Oklahoma's East is more liberal (whatever that means in OK) than its West?

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This is the 1976 Ford/Carter map. Ford still won. The last time OK County was won by a Democrat was 1964. I can't find full data on Tulsa County, but it's gone GOP since at least the 1950s.

1936 (nineteen thirty-six) was the last time Tulsa County went for the Democrats. That's sick...